Digital Only Subscription
Read the digital SMART Edition of The Times-Tribune on your PC or mobile device, and have 24/7 access to breaking news, local sports, contests, and more at thetimes-tribune.com or on our mobile apps.

Digital Services
Have news alerts sent to your mobile device, read the Smart Edition sign up for daily newsletters, activate your all access, enter contests, take quizzes, download our mobile apps and see the latest e-circulars.

About 500 plush dogs and cats are spread out with help from Lackawanna County Sheriff’s Department Cpl. Corey Cavalieri on Thursday at the Aaron Center in Dickson City, with more stuffed animals to be donated in the next few weeks.
(read more)

On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, Joseph P. McDonald manned the switchboard at Fort Shafter in Hawaii when he received the alarming message that radar had detected a large number of planes approaching from the north, heading fast for Oahu.
(read more)

Article Tools

Actors dancing across the stage to well-known beats and belting beloved melodies makes for a powerful evening in the theater.

Watching one of the stars perform in his hometown doesn't hurt, either.

From the first snap of the fingers to the final chord, "West Side Story," starring West Scranton native Theo Lencicki, delighted its audience Friday night at Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple.

The show kicked off the 2012-13 season for Broadway Theatre League of Northeastern Pennsylvania, which will present two more performances today and another two Sunday.

The musical by Arthur Laurents, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim has become a classic since its story of lovers Tony and Maria, a take on William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," debuted on Broadway in the 1950s. Driven by lively dance numbers and such hits as "Maria" and "Tonight," the show also boasts a story of love doomed by ethnic troubles and violence between two rival gangs, the white Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks.

We know from the minute the curtain rises that these aren't guys to mess with. They're bruised and cut, dirty and beaten down from trying to survive in a world of prejudice. They live in a shadow of a bridge amid downtrodden buildings in a neighborhood where violence is common.

At the center of the action is Mr. Lencicki, who portrays Jets leader Riff. Mr. Lencicki gives a performance to make his hometown proud. He holds his own against exhausting choreography and shines as a singer.

The production is based on the 2009 Broadway revival and, like its predecessor, incorporates Spanish into the dialogue. This update blends well into the show, making the conversations seem more genuine.

It might be confusing at times for anyone unfamiliar with the language, but it won't be impossible to understand in the context. "West Side Story's" message is a universal one, after all, warning against the impact hate can have on the world and hoping for a better one.

The show runs more smoothly than one might expect from a show that only began its national tour last week. The caliber of the music and the drama and emotion of the story make it almost impossible to perform a disappointing "West Side Story." That doesn't mean putting on a great one is easy, but the cast of this production makes it seem so.

Contact the writer: cheaney@timesshamrock.com, @cheaneyTT on TwitterIf you go

Reception: West Scranton High School alumni will host a reception at the cultural center after today's 8 p.m. show to honor fellow alumnus and show star Theo Lencicki. The reception is included with the show ticket.

Details: Tickets are $39, $49 or $59 and are available at the box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. The show is recommended for audiences 13 and older. For more information, visit www.broadwayscranton.com.

We welcome user discussion on our site, under the following guidelines:

To comment you must first create a profile and sign-in with a verified DISQUS account or social network ID. Sign up here.

Comments in violation of the rules will be denied, and repeat violators will be banned. Please help police the community by flagging offensive comments for our moderators to review. By posting a comment, you agree to our full terms and conditions. Click here to read terms and conditions.